Chair-back.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

B. NOWLAND.

CHAIR BACK.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 4, 1904.

2 SHBETS-SHEBT 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ,Benam Mwlami. BY 2 16/ O2. 721. my

ATTORNEY PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

B. NOWLAND.

CHAIR BACK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4, 1904.

2 sums-sum z.

iNVENTOR ,Beflam' Mwlafld. BY 92%. W

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENONI NOlVLAND, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CANTON SUR- GICAL ANDDENTAL CHAIR COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPO- RATION.

CHAIR-BACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

To a 'IIhUTlb-ifi 717 /17 concern:

Be it known that I, BENONI NowLANn,a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Chair-Backs; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specificatiomand to the numerals of referencemarked thereon, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the differentmembers of the back, showing the same in proper relative position andillustrating the back proper connected to a chair. Fig. 2 is a viewshowing the parts of the back detached from each other, but in properrelative position with reference to each other. Fig. 3 is a rear View ofthe lower back-standard, showing a part of said standard broken away andillustrating a portion of the back member in section. Fig. Aisasectional view showing a portion of the top or upper end of the topback-section. Fig. 5 indicates views of the wedge-block and latch,showing the operating-bar attached to the wedgeblock. Fig. 6 is a viewshowing the front of the chair-back members assembled. Fig. 7 is atransverse section on line 7 T, Fig. 6. Fig. 8'is a trans verse sectionon line 8 8, Fig. 6.

The present invention has relation to adjustable chair-backs designed tosupport and hold a head-rest and at the same time bring the back of thechair at any desired angle and to adjust the head-rest to any desiredposition within the limits of the movements of the parts supporting thehead-rests, it being understood that the head-rest may be of any desiredconstruction and may have adjustments independent of the adjustment withthe difierent members of the chair-back, the upper member or section ofthe chair-back carrying and supporting the head rest.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a portion of the chair frameor body, which may be of any desired construction, such as are commonlyused in dental or surgical chairs.

To the rear or back of the chair body or frame 1 is pivotally attachedthe lower backsection 2, which back-section is curved rearward andupward,as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The lower section 2 is formed hollow at its lower end and is so formedfor the purpose of receiving the finger 3, which finger is pivotallyattached to the chair-frame 1 at a point below the pivotal point of theback-section 2, by which arrangement the chair-back will be held at anydesired angularity with reference to the chair-seat, as hereinafter morefully described.

To the lower back-section 2 is attached the intermediate orsecondsection 4 by means of the bolts 5, which bolts are located substantiallyas shown in Fig. 6 and are held by suitable apertures through which thebolts 5 are passed.

For the purpose of more securely holding the rods 5 their top or upperends should be screw-threaded and seated in screw-threaded apertures.However, this is a matter of mechanical construction only. Thesecond orintermediate section 4 is provided with the apertured lugs 6, whichapertured lugs are located upon the bolts 5, by which arrangement theintermediate or second section is properly guided as to its movementsduring the time it is adjusted up or down.

To the intermediate or second section 4 is adjustably attached the thirdor upper chairback section 7, which upper chair-back is held in properrelative position by means of the grooved flanges 8 and the ribs 9, thisfeature being illustrated in Fig. 7 To the intermediate or secondsection 4 is adjustabl y attached the rod 10, to which rod is securelyattached the wedge-block 11, and between said wedgeblock 11 and theflange or web 12 is located the spring 13, which spring has a tendencyto move or force the wedge-block 11 upward or away from the flange 12,by which arrangement the latch 1a is automatically forced against theinner face of the lower back-section 2.

WVhcn it is desired to lower the intermediate section t, together withthe different parts carried thereby, the hand-lever 15 is moved upwardat its outer end, which movement depresses the inner end of said lever,which in turn forces the rod downward and releases the latch 1a, atwhich time the intermediate section 4. is free to be moved in eitherdirection longitudinally with reference to the lower chair-back section2. WVhen the intermediate section 1 has been brought to the desiredadjustment, the lever is released and the rod 10, together with itswedge-block, moved upward, which upward movement forces the latch 14into frictional contact with the lower chair-back section 2 and lockssaid intermediate section against longitudinal movement.

The upper section or head-rest stem is provided with the rod 16, whichrod has fixedly attached thereto the wcdgc-l.)lock 17, and below thewedge-block 17 is locatedthe spring 18, which spring is supported uponthe flange or web 19. Thelatch 20 is pivotally attached to the uppersection 7 and in such a position that it will be forced against thefront face of the intermediate section 4: by m ans of the wedge-block 17when the wedge-block is elevated by means of the spring 18.

When it is desired to release the upper section 16, so that it is freeto move up and down with reference to the intermediate section 4:, thelever 21 is moved upward at its outer end, and its inner end depresses,which in turn forces the rod 16 downward, carrying with it thewedge-block 17, at which time the latch 20 is freed from the face of theintermediate section 4C and of course the upper section free to be movedin either direction and guided in its movements by means of the groovedflanges 8 and the ribs 9.

By pivotally attaching the lower back-section 2 to the chair it will beunderstood that the back-sections can be brought into any angle, and forthe purpose of holding the back proper in the desired adjustment withreference to its inclination the finger3 is provided, which finger islocated upon one side against the flange 22, and for the purpose ofsecurely holding the back the screw 23 is provided, the inner end ofwhich norn'ially presses against the finger 3, and for the purpose ofautomatically causing the screw to press against the finger 3 and bindsaid finger between the flange 22 and the inner end of the screw 23 ithe spring 241 is provided, one end of said spring being secured to theflange 25 or its equivalent and the opposite end thereof fixed to thescrew. By this arrangement when the screw is rotated to release thefinger 3 the tension of the spring will be increased, so thatthereaction of the spring will rotate the screw when released andautomatically clamp the finger 3.

The object of providing means for automatically rotating the screw is toinsure the proper engagement of said screw with the finger 3, therebypreventing any accidental movement of the chair-back proper. For thepurpose of more securely holding the chair-back proper against backwardmovement upon its pivotal point the finger 3 is tapered or wedge shaped,or, in other words, the face of the linger designed for engagement withthe screw 23 inclined from its pivotal point toward its free end, bywhich arrangement the finger will be bound between the screw and theflange 22 in such a manner that the chair-back cannot be moved backwardwithout releasing the screw from engagement with the contact-face of thefinger.

For the purpose of allowing the intermediate section a to be lowered toits extreme limit without interfering with the hand-lever 15 the top orupper section of the back 2 is provided with the recess 26 and intowhich recess the lever 15 passes when the intermediate section t islowered to its extreme limit.

For the purpose of providing proper frictional contact so as to betterhold the various sections of the chair-back in desired adjustment thepivoted latches 1% and 20 are provided with the contact-faces 27, andfor the purpose of preventing any downward movement of the intermediatesection a and the upper section 7 except when desired the back faces ofthe lower section 2 and the intermediate section et are inclined at anangle to the rods 5 and rib 9, by which arrangement there can be nodownward movement of the detachable chair-back sections at any timeexcept the latches 14 and 20 are released from frictional contact by thedepression of the wedge-blocks 11 and 17. It will be understood thatwhen the wedge-blocks are lowered the latches are free to swing upontheir pivotal points by gravity, providing the chairback sections standin a vertical position, or nearly so, and if thrown out of a verticalposition said latches will have little if any frictional contact uponthe back faces with which they are brought into engagement.

For the purpose of providinga proper back, or what might be termed aback-rest, the upholstered back 28 is provided, which is of the usualconstruction and forms no particular part of the present inventionexcept that it is understood that a suitable upholstered back is to beprovided, and, as shown in this instance, it is attached to theintermediate section a.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a chair-back, a series of sections, the lowermost sectionpivotally connected to a chair-frame, said lowermost section providedwith guide-rods, the inner back face of said lowermost section locatedat an angle to the guide-rods, an intermediate chair-back sectionadapted to be adjusted upon the guide-rods, and said intermediatesection having pivoted thereto, a latch adapted for contact with theinner back face of the lowermost section, a rod adjustably attached tothe intermediate section and having fixed thereto a wedgeblock adaptedfor contact with the latch, an operating-lever connected to theadjustable rod, and a spring located around the rod and below thewedge-block, said spring adapted to elevate the wedge-block and pressthe latch against the inner face of the lowermost chairback section, andmeans for holding the lowarmost chair-back section against movement iponits pivotal point, substantially as and for he purpose specified.

2. In a chair-back, the combination of a :hair-frame, a chair-backsection pivotally atached to the chair-frame, a finger attached ,0 thechair-frame at a point below the pivtal point of the chair-back section,said finger provided with an inclined face, a screw Ldapted forengagement With the inclined face )f the linger and said screw havingattached vhereto one end of a spring, and a spring sezured at itsopposite end to a fixed point ther than the screw, and a flange or faceldapted for contact With the finger, and an tCljUSbfllJlG chair-backsection carried by the lBCElOH pivoted to the chair-frame, substaniallyas and for the purpose specified.

3. In a chair-back, the combination of a BENONI NOVVLAND.

l/Vitnesses:

L. R. RAMSBERGER, EMMA HERMANN.

